Razorbill Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesRazorbill
Breeding adult
Robust crow-sized seabird that is black above and white below. A thin white line marks its face and thick black bill during the breeding season.
© Christoph Moning / Macaulay LibraryFinnmark, April 08, 2011Nonbreeding adult/immature
Nonbreeding birds have a white throat and cheek that extends up behind the eye.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, December 16, 2011Nonbreeding adult/immature
Robust crow-sized seabird that rapidly flaps its narrow and pointed wings. Often seen flying in small groups.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, March 09, 2013Breeding
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryNewfoundland and Labrador, June 01, 1997Not all videos have sound
Breeding adult
Breeds in colonies on rocky coastlines.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryNewfoundland and Labrador, May 30, 2010Breeding adult
Breeding birds have a thin white line on their thick black bill and another thin line extending from the bill to the eye.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryFinnmark, June 14, 2015Breeding
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryNewfoundland and Labrador, June 01, 1997Not all videos have sound
Breeding
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryNewfoundland and Labrador, June 01, 1997Not all videos have sound
Similar SpeciesCommon Murre
Breeding "Bridled" form
Common Murres are more slender, with thinner, more pointed bills than Razorbills, which have a thicker, blunt-tipped bill.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryFinnmark, June 14, 2015Similar SpeciesCommon Murre
Nonbreeding
Common Murres are slender birds with a thin, pointed bill and a short tail whereas Razorbills are rather chunky with a heavy, blunt-tipped bill, and a long tail that they often hold up.
© Oscar Johnson / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, December 29, 2014Similar SpeciesThick-billed Murre
Breeding
Thick-billed Murres have a pointier bill than Razorbills which have a heavy, blunt-tipped bill.
© Sonja Ross / Macaulay LibraryChukotka Autonomous Okrug, August 18, 2015Similar SpeciesThick-billed Murre
Nonbreeding
Nonbreeding Thick-billed Murres have black behind the eye whereas nonbreeding Razorbills have a patch of white behind the eye.
© Lucas Bobay / Macaulay LibraryNorth Carolina, January 17, 2015Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Auks, Murres, and Puffins(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Alcidae)
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